Yaksha Kalanidhi Award for Samaga, Kolyur
MANGALORE: Delhi-based Academy of Thenku Thittu Yakshagana (ATTY) has chosen senior Yakshagana artistes Malpe Ramdas Samaga and Kolyur Ramachandra Rao for this year’s Yaksha Kalanidhi Award.
Each of them will receive Rs. 12,000 in cash, a memento and a citation at a function which will be held at the Town Hall here on September 6. Union Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily will present the awards.
Addressing presspersons here on Monday, director of ATTY Vidya Kolyur said that Mr. Samaga is now 80 years old and Mr. Rao 77 years old. Following the traditions established by ATTY, a brief documentary on the lives and works of the two artistes would be shown prior to the awards function. Allen Pereira, Chairman and Managing Director, Bank of Maharashtra, will be the chief guest on the occasion.
She said that in the past three years the ATTY had conferred its annual award to one Yakshagana artiste. This year it had decided to honour two artistes. The earlier awards were given to Kateel Purushottam Bhat, Peruvodi Narayana Bhat and Mijaru Annappa. She said that the Samaga-Rao pair is well-established in the field of Yakshagana and they had become household names.
The award function will give the connoisseurs of Yakshagana an opportunity to see the two artistes together again on the stage after so many years, she said.
Saravu Krishna Bhat, another director of the ATTY, said the award presentation ceremony would be followed by a Yakshagana performance.
Silver jubilee
Meanwhile, Sri Mahaganapathi Yakshagana Mandali, Nidle, Dharmasthala, is observing its silver jubilee this year. Addressing a separate press conference here on Monday, manager of the mandali Nidle Govinda Bhat said that it will organise a function at the Town Hall here on August 2 to observe the jubilee.
(The Hindu Report on 28 Jul 09)
ಯಕ್ಷಗಾನಂ ಗೆಲ್ಗೆ! ಯಕ್ಷಗಾನಂ ಬಾಳ್ಗೆ!
